Up to the 3d of November 1914 the Palingbrug was left abandoned. Though, it is during that period of time that the inundation was stretched. A first attempt took place on the morning of the 27th of October, but was a failure, it is only at 5 a. m. on the 28th that we managed to open and keep it so during the incoming tide, the old lock of Furnes.
The inroad of water through that lock having been reckoned unsufficient, the Belgian G.H.Q. decided to make use of the Noordvaart lock, but the latter was since the evening of the 26th right in “No man’s land”, position which rendered the operation most dangerous.
Under the protection of 40 cyclists carabiniers who had to cross over in walking on the Furnes lock gates (the bridge having been blown up, by order of Colonel Claudon after the retreat of the 26th), Captain Umé, of the Royal Engineers successfully managed to open the locks of Noordvaart. The following nights the operations were renewed and gradually the sheet of water rose and rose. Awestruck by that mystery, the enemy, fortunately realised it but too late.
At last, on the 3d of November, while the Yser battle had proved a victory, all along the Belgian line, reconnaissances were carried out in front of the advanced posts.
On November the 4th, detachment of the 2d Army Division occupied again the bridge-head of Palingbrug and the Redan, which we pledge our word was never tred on by German heels.
A few time afterwards an offensive movement took place and was undertaken by the Franco-Belgian troops, that operation forced the enemy to give up the channel North of the “Geleïde”. The front was then fixed on a position baptized “The Main bridge-head of Nieuport” on a line parallel to the channel and at about 600 meters East of the latter, running round the Western side of Lombartzyde and prolonging itself almost parallel to Plasschendaele canal up to the Boterdijk.
That front never knew any alterations till July 1917.
The 10th of July 1917, at about 8 o’clock p. m., after a regular bombardment of more than 10 hours duration, all along the Nieuport sector, the enemy rushed the positions held, only since a few days, by the British Infantry. The fight lasted the whole night long and after the most bloody hand to hand fights, the attackers succeeded to enter the British trenches between the beach and the Geleïde and throwing the occupants in the channel, those who swam across escaped from death or capture.
From up the 11 July onward the Nieuport front was running along the channel right up to Geleïde river, where it was hinged to the primitive front, which determined attacks had successfully brought to its original point.
Later the “Redan” and its surrounding area were subjected to almost daily bombardments, which soon gave them a bloody fame.